I have a feeling Nicole & Patrick’s wedding is going to be one of the best weddings of the year! I first met Nicole and Patrick at past wedding that I photographed for Nick and Nikki. So when they asked me to be their St. Louis wedding photographer I was ecstatic. Their wedding will be held at The Peabody Opera House, which is one of their locations for their St. Louis engagement session.

Photographing inside the Scottrade Center is always a wonderful experience, and this session did not disappoint.

After a brief loop around the Scottrade, they changed their clothes and with Patrick being a big “Car Guy” who could not include one of his sweet rides?

Quick story about their session….

I had a Newborn shoot right before their session, so even though I have photographed Patrick in the past, for some reason I kept calling him James!!! So you may hear Patrick calling me Rufus through out the wedding day. It will be answering to both that day.

When meeting Sara last year, there was an instant click. We had many similarities and even friends that were all tied to the AAU Volleyball. Yes, I did play Volleyball and was actually pretty good about 100 lbs ago, it was fun seeing how we were all tied together in one way or the other.

For their St. Louis engagement session, we actually traveled outside of the city and went to the little town of Collinsville, IL. We stopped at Willoughby Heritage Farm, which provided a wonderful back drop which was exactly what we were looking for. It had barns, tractors, chickens, oh and tire swings (which may have made Brad a little bit woozy).

Back to the Barn and the tractor…

I truly love this shot with Sara & Brad on the tractor. As soon as I saw it, I was immediately drawn to both of their looks.

I wish I could attend their Florida ceremony, but instead I will be ready to rock their Creative session and their reception that will be held in our area. Make sure to check out their personal website HERE.

So I am always humbled and honored, when friends from my past contact me to be their wedding photographer. Knowing Bridget from our humble days of Select volleyball, we have remained in touch for 16 years. Yeah Bridget, Volleyball was that long ago!!

We had an amazing day, beginning at Bridget and Drew’s home, where the ladies after getting their hair done with Nikki, put on their finishing touches of makeup with Heather – Facesbyheather . She had a wonderful two piece dress that seemed to made just for her.

The Ceremony took place at St. George Church in Affton. The traditional stylings of the church truly made a wonderful backdrop.

Being a St. Louis Wedding Photographer, I am well aware of the unpredictable and ever changing conditions. This November day did not disappoint. It may have been a bit on the chilly side, but in my eyes the conditions were perfect. Even had some wonderful fall colors left to work with. After a brief stint in Forest Park, we then traveled to Downtown St. Louis at the plaza at North 8th Street. This Plaza has become a favorite place for the downtown atmosphere. After leaving the plaza, we wanted one last night time shot, so we headed to the top of one of the only hills in Downtown and were able to fire off a few “Edgy Shots”. “Making it Sassy”

We finally ended up at Orlando Garden’s in South County. When I first walked in, I noticed an amazing Candy Bar. Getting a little bit closer, I noticed that all the candy was purple. I thought it was a great touch, so I had to sneak a little piece before others got there, and I will have to admit that Grape Licorice is now my new favorite candy.

The Live band created a kick ass dance floor, and despite a small wardrobe malfunction, everything went off perfectly. I wish the very best to both Bridget and Drew, and thank you for letting me be your St. Louis Wedding Photographer.

Well Kim & Mike had a wonderful St. Louis engagement session. Even though we may have cut a little close, with their wedding coming up this weekend, better late than never. When I first met Kim at the St. Louis Bride Wedding show last January at The Chase Park Plaza, I knew right from the start she was going to be an amazing bride that I would love to work with.

“You get out what you put in”

For their St. Louis engagement session Kim & Mike were All In!! We were planning a session in more of a park atmosphere, I do enjoy park engagement sessions as much as any other engagement session, but them Mike happen to see some work of mine from a colleague of his, and decided to push for a little more. We traveled to many of the wonderful structures that St. Louis has to offer, including one of their favorite spots of the out skirts of the new downtown library. We were able to end up at one of the more popular spots on the Illinois side of the river, and were able to enjoy the sunset over our wonderful city. After running all around the downtown area, we were able to finish in the fountains at The Saint Louis City Garden.

I am very excited to be apart of their special day. Their ceremony will be taken place at Central Presbyterian, and the reception at Lumen. Hopefully we will have a wonderful and exciting send-off.

If their wedding day is anything like their St. Louis engagement session, look forward to seeing some Amazing Imagery!!

So I didn’t get to see Julie and Nick actually getting married, but they did choose me to be their St. Louis wedding photographer!!

Here’s the story:

Julie and Nick got married in Hawaii a month before their actual reception here in St. Louis where I was able to photograph them. I was able to keep in touch with them via social media, and appeared to be a wonderful ceremony. If I was available during that date I would have been on the first plane to the island.

Fortunately…

They had a reception here and had me as their St. Louis wedding photographer. We got ready at their home where they had their hair and make up done. After that we met up at at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. Just a quick step away was Paddy O’s Bar. It is the first place where Julie and Nick first met, and were able to cool off from 100 degree day. We also traveled to Forest Park and was able to take advantage of the Muny Box office. The actual reception was held at St. Louis University High School’s brand new commons area, where the Father of the bride has been a teacher and baseball coach of the Jr. Bills Baseball team.

Side Note: I have known the family for many years. The father of the bride was my Baseball coach for two years, and was able to compete and be involved with the family during my AAU Volleyball years (100 Lbs ago). Since the father of bride has been such an influence on me, and my outlook on life, I was so excited when I was able to return the favor for his daughter. During his welcome speach or toast, he did not disappoint in giving some of the best lessons in making a marriage successful.

I’m so thankful that I could be apart of their day and they chose me to be their St. Louis wedding photographer.

I was very excited when Anne and Dave chose me to be their St. Louis wedding photographer. I have known the groom for a very long time, and it’s quite funny how we all get intertwined in each other’s lives again and again. Dave and Anne had their engagement session at Forest Park in St. Louis and brought their handsome yellow lab, Gus, along to help out.

I love it when any of my clients want to step outside the box during their shoot, and this was no different. With Dave’s background in hunting and the outdoors, and the timeless beauty of Anne, I knew they had to be mashed together to get one creative image. We ended our engagement session at Jefferson Lake inside Forest Park. We found a part of the lake that was down the hill and was hidden from the street traffic. Cause I’m sure we would have gotten some funny looks when Dave pulled his shotgun out from his truck! Anne looked stunning in a simple, yet elegant, black dress accented by some fiery red lips, and while Dave was “locked but unloaded” he sure rocked his Camo waders.

I am looking forward to their April 2014 Wedding. With the ceremony at St. Gabriel the Archangel, which is a beautiful church in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood. It is a fantastic ceremony location that has both traditional and modern touch. The Reception will be held at The Palladium in St. Louis. It has become one of my favorite reception locations. It is a piece of history brought back to life. It is a fusion between old world and contemporary design.